Ramos Pinto Collector Unfiltered Ruby Reserve

Producer Information

Founded in 1880 by Adriano Ramos Pinto, this Port House has always had a pioneering spirit – from the distinctive and stylish ‘art nouveau’ advertising from the 1900s to the continuing wide ranging vineyard research with results that have benefited the whole port trade. Champagne Louis Roederer, now the majority shareholder, perpetuates this philosophy and ensures continuity in a company renowned for wine-making excellence.

Vineyards

Ramos Pinto holds the largest proportion of vineyards in relation to its production, giving it a high degree of control over viticultural methods and harvest timing. The house tends 187 hectares of prime vineyards in the Alto Corgo and Douro Superior areas of the famed Douro region, the mountainous valley formed by the Douro River and its tributaries.

Winemaking

The must is fermented through maceration and automatic “pumping over” so a better extraction is achieved. After four or five days, the fermentation is stopped by the addition of 20% spirit. Lastly, the wine is racked. It does not undergo any hot or cold treatment or filtration. Average age of the blend is five years old.

Tasting Note

Deep dark brick red. Rich ripe dark fruits, with hints of prunes, figs, blackberry and cherry. Warm fruit, full bodied with sweet ripe mellow finish. Drink over the next two years.

Food Pairing

It is a perfect match with chocolate and medium-bodied cheeses or ham. It is also an excellent accompaniment to wild game dishes, especially duck. Can be served with desserts made with red fruits.

Serving Suggestion

Serve between 16º and 18º C. Store the bottle upright, in a cool, dry and dark place.

Press

San Francisco International Wine Competition 2017: Gold Medal, 90 Points

The Wine Advocate: 90 POINTS
January 31, 2019, William Kelley

“The NV Collector Porto Reserva is an unfiltered Port coming in with 99 grams per liter of residual sugar and a bar-top cork. It was aged about five years in large, well-used wooden vats (25+ years old). This Reserva takes Tinta Roriz and Touriga Franca from Ramos Pinto’s Quinta da Ervamoira and Tinta Barroca from its Quinta do Bom Retiro. (A field blend from Bom Retiro fills out the blend.) This particular bottle was from the August 30, 2018 bottling (lot number L-18242A). Winemaker Ana Rosas told me that this “doesn’t undergo any type of treatment, no fining, cold stabilized, nothing. It’s only a blend of different wines of several ages, some young, some quite mature. The wines can age in wood (balseiros) and in cement or in both….We release our first ‘Collector’ with a proper cork and the wine used to age [beautifully], something between LBV and Crusted, but the market…didn’t want a proper cork…The wine has the capacity to age but with this bar top no more than four to five years. After that, the wine will be good but will lose fruit.” Dark and stern, leaning more to figs and dried plums than sweet red fruits, this very expressive and intense Reserva has unusual power for a Ruby Reserva and plenty of concentration for the category. One or two may have been its equal, but there was no wine in this report that showed better after being held for another two days. At that point, it still showed surprising power and coated the palate. As time went on, when a lot of the Reserves in this report fell off, this just got better. The gripping finish, even two days later, beautiful fruit and serious demeanor made it seem pretty fine. It has impressive color as well, reminiscent of Vintage Port. The complexity in the flavor profile added a key bit of distinction—it has a certain maturity to it that is appealing. The texture was velvety and sensual. Five days later, it was still intriguing and I couldn’t say that about many of them this issue. Simply, it is wonderfully expressive—unusually so for a Ruby Reserve. The only downside—the norm for a Ruby Reserve—is that I wouldn’t expect it to hold at this level for too many years (bar-top cork or not). That’s a key distinction between this and a real Vintage Port or a top LBV (like Ramos Pinto’s) that must constrain my scoring. While it is young and fresh, though, you may like it even more than the score suggests. It was probably my favorite of the tasting.

 

P.s. You’ll also like the typically atmospheric Ramos Pinto label—a bonus.”

Douro Valley, Portugal
A blend of traditional grape varieties from old vines
Stopper Cork
19.5%
95.4g/l
3.88g/l
No
No

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